Dragonriders of Pern- Inuyasha style
by Shadowhawke Rose
Summary: When Inuyasha is injured by Thread fall, he and his rider, Miroku, are sent to the Southern Weyr to recover. While at the Weyr, the two companions will discover that maybe what you thought you needed isn't really what you wanted at all. (I know, horrible summary, but it's better than it sounds, trust me.) Major OOC, so don't say that I didn't warn you XD
1. Dragon Rising, Dragon Falling

11

_-Jeezus. I can't believe I actually wrote this. 0.0 I guess I was on a Dragonriders of Pern kick a few months ago. Since you guys seem to like my weird little species-change fics, I think I'll post this. Whether or not I post the next chapter is up to you ;) OH! Right. Should probably warn you. MAJOR OOC for the dragons *-* But I'm very fond of my story, and I hope you like it too. :)-_

* * *

DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN- INUYASHA STYLE

* * *

INTRODUCTION:

Queens of Rath

Sango stood watching as the two Queen eggs rocked violently in the hot sands of the Nesting grounds, shifting from foot as the sands burned through her thin slippers. She had been found by Dragonmen on Search for potential riders for the two Queen eggs laid by the dying Rath, and as customary, was waiting for the approval of the hatching Queens.

Casting a nervous glance around her, she allowed herself to look away from the shaking eggs towards the bulk of the old Queen. The golden dragon had long since passed her prime, but had, despite all odds, risen one last time, and produced a clutch oft twenty-two eggs, with an almost unheard of total of two Queens.

She looked over at the other girls collected during the Search. Most clung to their peers in fear, and others were trying to suppress tears. Sango snorted, crying wouldn't make anything better. She had learned that lesson the hard way, many Turns ago. She was snapped from her painful reminiscing as a collective gasp rose from all assembled in the cavern as one of the mottled eggs cracked open, and a small bronze head emerged, many faceted eyes whirling with confusion. He wailed piteously and swung his wedge shaped head back and forth as he surveyed his surroundings.

The boys gathered in front of the dragonet swayed nervously, waiting for the bronze to make a move. With unexpected agility, the small dragon leapt towards one of the boys and in the blink of an eye, snapped his neck.

Sango stepped back, revolted, as the dragonet wailed again, and turned towards the shaking line of boys, the limp body behind him twitching slightly. He stumbled over his own wing and came to rest at the feet of a skinny blonde. The hatchling chirped questioningly, looking hopefully up at the candidate, and the boy raised a shaking hand to tentatively scratch behind an eye ridge. The dragon crooned lovingly and leaned in to the touch, humming softly as the boy broke in to a huge smile.

Tearing her eyes away from the new pair, Sango turned her gaze towards the other eggs, surprised to see that while she had been occupied with the first bronze dragonet, several other dragons had emerged from their shells, and were floundering towards the potential candidates.

Sango hurriedly stepped back as a small green stumbled past her legs towards one of the Queen candidates, pausing by her feet as if waiting for the long-haired brunette to finish her hysterics before butting against her leg impatiently, like a cat waiting for a good petting.

When the last of the mottled eggs had broken open, and the dragonets had all been paired off with a rider, only four girls were left standing in the hot sand in front of the violently rocking Queen eggs.

With a glance towards the other girls, Sango squared her shoulders and took a deep breath, calming herself through sheer force of will. A hush fell over the cavern as one of the golden eggs cracked open, and a slender dragonet emerged, forked tongue snaking in and out of her jaws as she tasted the air. With little visible effort, the young Queen shook off the rest of her shell and headed towards Sango. At the last moment, the dragon turned, and faced the quivering blond next to her, and after a few moments of consideration, whipped her head back and forth as if unsatisfied, and lunged past the girl, ignoring the injuries her sharp claws caused, and moved on the the next candidate. After a few moments, she too, was rejected and bypassed. Sobbing with relief, the girl ran from the chamber, ignoring her wounded friend in her frenzy to escape the small Queen. Watching the girl leave, the small dragon squeaked in confusion, and stumbled to halt before a pretty girl with wide golden eyes. The queen stared at her silently, and then, as if the girl had passed her test, twined around her legs, burbling happily.

Stepping away from the bloodstained sand left by the injured blonde next to her, Sango turned towards the remaining Queen egg, barely cracked, and watched as a head twice as small as that of her sister, emerged from the egg and hung limply, as if the small dragon was too exhausted to continue her escape from the confining egg shell.

Now concerned for the tiny hatchling, Sango stepped towards the egg, firmly ignoring the shocked gasps that came from the crowd behind her, and began to peel away the egg shell, allowing the tired dragonet to slither to the ground. Sango lifted the small head in her hands, and petted the Queen gently, and smiled as the dragon chattered softly, and raised her head to lick Sango on the cheek.

She nudged the tongue away, and Kagome informed her that she was tired, and would like to be carried to her sleeping chambers. Sango tapped her on the nose, earning a squeak from her new companion. "Don't be so lazy. You need something to eat before you can sleep." With a tired grumble of affirmation, Kagome allowed herself to be scooped up into Sango's arms. With a warm smile, the new Weyrwoman of the Southern Cliffside Weyr turned away from the nesting grounds and disappeared into the throng of waiting dragonriders.

* * *

CHAPTER 1:

Dragon Rising, Dragon Falling

(Three years later)

Miroku gave a happy sigh and stretched out his arms into the sky as the warm air ghosted across his face. "Isn't this much better than _between_ Inuyasha?"

The bronze grumbled a reply, and gave a full body shiver, causing Miroku to very nearly lose his grip on the saddle. With a mock frown, Miroku smacked Inuyasha on the neck reprimandingly. "See that? You nearly unseated me you wretched creature! What would you do without me?" Inuyasha replied that without Miroku, he would be basking himself in the warm sunlight outside of the weyr, not blinking in and out of _between_ at his beck and call. Miroku sighed, and scratched the great bronze fondly, causing the dragon to hum and arch his neck slightly, "I'm sure you would be, lazy brute that you are…"

Inuyasha informed him that he, the largest bronze in the weyr, worked harder than all the other dragons combined. And would he please scratch a little further to the left? Rolling his eyes, Miroku laughed and complied. "So what happened to lounging in the sun?"

_Hard work earns relaxation,_ Inuyasha replied testily,_ And since I have worked very hard today, would you please allow me to eat before I waste away to nothing?_

Eying his dragon in amusement, Miroku snickered, "I'm afraid that it would take a lot more than a few days without food to reduce you to nothing."

With a rumbled agreement, Inuyasha turned his neck to watch Miroku dismount, and once he was sure that he was off, he arched his back and launched into the sky, his great bronze wings beating as he propelled himself towards where the herd beasts were kept.

Watching his dragon glide away, Miroku sighed fondly. It had been seven turns since he had Impressed Inuyasha at the clutch of the dying Izayoi, last queen in the old line of the Eastern hold. She had risen, and had been mated by a wild bronze that had appeared before another dragon could catch her. He stayed with another hatchling at the Hold until the Queen had passed, and had then vanished as suddenly as he had arrived.

Inuyasha was the only bronze to survive from the clutch, and had inherited his father's size and strength, easily outweighing all other bronzes at the Western Weyr. From his mother, he had inherited a sleek, wiry frame and wide graceful wings. Many of the other Weyrleaders had often predicted that when the Western Queen, Kikyo, rose, Inuyasha would catch her. Miroku often echoed this to the dragon himself, and he was always met with a positive reply.

Personally, he thought that Inuyasha was quite besotted with the golden Queen, standing guard over her weyr and following her to the feeding grounds. It distracted him during patrols, and made him nervous and jumpy when she wasn't around. The sooner she rose, the better. And it would be soon, he decided. Kikyo was fully grown, and was due to rise any day. Already she was growing restless, and was eating more, causing the bronzes to stay in a nearly constant state of alert, lest she rise on short notice.

A hand clapped down on his shoulder, and he jerked, embarrassed at being caught daydreaming. It was his old mentor, Mushin.

"Dozing off again eh, Miroku?"

He shook his head, "Me? Never."

The old man eyed his pupil suspiciously, "Too many late nights, hm?"

Miroku laughed and shrugged. "Hey, what can I say? I was born a ladies man… It's not my fault that they like me." With a wink, Miroku began to saunter away, until the old man caught his hand.

"Wait. Miroku, let me read your palm."

With a weary sigh, Miroku extended his hand for the old man to see, twitching slightly as he ran his fingers over the lines in his palm.

A frown deepened the wrinkles on Mushin's forehead. "_Hmm_…. Oh dear….. This is not good at all…"

Worried, Miroku retracted his hand. "What is it Mushin? What's wrong?"

Old watery brown eyes met Miroku's blue, and the elder looked away, sighing heavily. "You have…. Only three days to live!"

Miroku felt his heart plummet to somewhere south of his knees. "O-only three days? But I have so much to do! So many women to sati-_Wait_. You'd better not be joking with me," The old man's left eye twitched, "…."

Miroku gasped in outrage, "You _are _joking with me you old fart! I actually believed you!"

Mushin wiped his eyes with a wrinkled hand, still sniggering to himself. "You always were so gullible…"

The young dragonman fumed as his mentor guffawed at his stupidity. With an impatient cough, he cut him off. "Really Mushin, you didn't come all this way to find me just because you wanted to make fun of me. What is it?"

With a final wheeze of laughter, the old man calmed down. "I'm actually here to warn you."

Miroku eyed Mushin suspiciously, the old man had always liked making fun of him, and this could very well be one of his tricks. "Well spit it out, what's the impending doom?"

Mushin shook his head, "I'm not sure. I've been feeling this unsettling aura in the Weyr for several days, I know that I'm not alone in this, seeing as the dragons are all restless."

Now it was Miroku's turn to laugh. His mentor stared at him in surprise, wondering what was so funny about unsettling auras and nervous dragons.

With an amused glance at Mushin, Miroku waved as he saw Inuyasha rise above the hills, muzzle bloody from feeding. "It's the_ Queen_, Mushin! She's due to rise any day now. Of course the dragons are unsettled. Go back to your wine, and stop worrying!"

He swung himself into the saddle as Inuyasha landed, winked at Mushin, and the next thing he knew, the old man was being buffeted by a blast of icy cold air as the pair winked away into _between_.

With an offended snort, Mushin waddled back into the confines of the Weyr. "Stop worrying indeed…. _Hrmph_."

* * *

As Inuyasha coasted out of _between_, Miroku shivered, nose red from the icy cold. "Hey Inuyasha," he tapped the dragon's neck to make sure he paid attention, "Mushin says that he's been feeling an aura. You know anything about that?"

Inuyasha shook his head, and banked left, allowing a smaller brown to glide past. _What Mushin says is of no importance to me. He was probably joking with ._

Miroku shook his head, "He was, before, but he actually seemed pretty serious about this." Inuyasha snorted. _Doubtful._

Running his hand through his dark hair, Miroku grinned. "So no wacky auras?"

_No wacky auras._ Inuyasha affirmed, coasting over a small lake, causing some drinking herd beasts to scatter in wild panic as his shadow stretched across the small valley. _But don't forget about what he said. Despite his love of drink, sometimes the old man has something useful to say_. The dragon advised, turning his neck so that he could watch his rider, many faceted golden eyes gleaming in the sun.

"I won't. Besides, we've got more important things to worry about. Right old friend?"

The bronze bobbed his head in agreement._ We do. Kaede, the shrimpy blue, reports the Red Star at the top of the Eye Rock._

Miroku nearly choked on air. "_Pffth_!_ Already_? I thought Thread fall wasn't due for nearly a turn!"

Inuyasha snorted, and informed Miroku that he wasn't a message bearer, and if he wanted to find anything out, he could do it himself. After giving Inuyasha a good smack on the neck, Miroku craned his neck up, so that he could scan the sky.

_You won't find anything up there now… The Red Star rises at dawn_. Inuyasha looked upwards, eyeing the sky. _And I still don't see why you needed to smack me. It was completely unnecessary._

Frowning, Miroku ceased his skywatching and stared ahead as the rock walls of the Western Weyr came into view. "Call it negative reinforcement. I need to know these things, Inuyasha."

The dragon testily replied that if he needed to know these things so badly, why didn't he ask the Weyrleader himself? "Because I'm busy making sure that a certain bottomless pit is fed." Miroku replied, casting a stern glance down at his bronze.

Unabashed, Inuyasha circled down to his preferred sunning ledge, and yawned massively, Couldn't Miroku go and fetch some oil? His hide itched terribly, and he was so tired…..

Miroku childishly stuck his tongue out at his dragon, and headed up to his chambers to fetch the requested oil.

On his way down, Miroku ran into Tsubaki, Weyrwoman of the West. She fell into step beside him, long hair swishing behind her. "So I hear that Kikyo is due to rise soon?"

He nodded, "She is. The bronzes have been edgy for days now, I hope it's soon, Inuyasha's gotten so twitchy that it's hard to ride him."

Tsubaki threw back her head and laughed, white teeth flashing in the sun. "Don't let Kikyo hear you say that, it'll go straight to her head."

Miroku smiled as a soft rumble emanated from somewhere below them. "Speak of the beast…"

The Weyrwoman smiled at him, "She's just hungry. Anyway, we've got some good bronzes out there this year, I'm sure that she'll produce a good clutch."

He winked at her, "The best, I'm sure."

She laughed again, and disappeared down a flight of stairs, hair swishing. When she had first Impressed the young Queen, her hair had been black, but constant exposure to the sun and heat of firestone had bleached it to a white-blonde, creating a lovely harmony with her striking golden eyes. It was bad enough that the _bronzes_ were pining after the Queen, but half the _Weyrmen _were pining after her rider _and _the position that her dragon brought. She was too ambitious for Miroku's taste, but if Inuyasha was to catch Kikyo when she rose, it was comforting that his Weyr partner would be attractive.

With a shrug, he continued down to where said bronze was lounging in the sun, an array of fire lizards perched on his back. When he saw Miroku approaching, he shook himself, and the fire lizards scattered, protesting wildly.

"Enough beauty sleep. I've got your oil here."

Inuyasha yawned and stretched leisurely, his long tail lashing through the air. After a few minutes, the dragon padded over to Miroku, and curled himself around his partner, ignoring the loud protests this caused, and covered his companion with a massive wing.

Brushing his hand over the soft membrane covering him, Miroku set the oil down next to his foot and smiled. With a sleepy grumble, Inuyasha informed him that even though he was confined, he was most certainly not excused from oil duty.

With an exasperated laugh, Miroku picked up the oil and began working, rubbing the rag gently in circles on the sensitive wing membrane, and Inuyasha hummed contentedly, wrapping himself tighter around his partner and friend.

* * *

Miroku was unpleasantly jolted awake when his erstwhile pillow shot to his feet and rumbled a warning, wings spread wide. Rubbing his bruised head with his hand, Miroku slowly sat up, yawning widely.

"What's the big deal Inuyasha? I never knew that you were an early riser…."

He blinked again, and his sleep-muddled head cleared slightly. "Wait. Is it Thread? Are we needed on patrol?"

Inuyasha swung his massive head around so that he was eye to eye with his rider._ It's the Queen you moron! Kikyo will rise today! The bronzes blood their kill, and the fire lizards are excited beyond comprehension._

Miroku dubiously eyed his dragon, "You're trusting fire lizards with this information? And you're positive about this?"

The bronze bobbed his head, and lowered himself down into a crouch so that his rider could mount. Well hurry up then! I don't want to miss the rising, and I need food if I am to catch the Queen.

With a tired grumble, Miroku complied, and no sooner than he had lowered himself onto the saddle, than Inuyasha sprang into the air, heading towards the feeding grounds with eye-watering speed.

Hanging on to the saddle for dear life, Miroku gripped his legs tighter around the bronze. "I'm sure that expending all your energy like this is_ really_ going to help you catch the Queen!"

Inuyasha snorted in irritation, but slowed his pace enough so that Miroku could loosen his vice like grip and relax. "_Thank you_. Now…"

He trailed off as his eyes met the pulsing light of the Red Star, hanging ominously in the foggy morning skies. He shivered, and turned his gaze to his dragon.

"Inuyasha, you're sure that she'll rise today?"

The dragon nodded. _Positive._

Miroku sighed and rubbed the forming lump on the back of his head, looking up at the baleful glow of the star suspiciously. "She certainly picked a good day to rise…"

* * *

Landing at the feeding grounds, Inuyasha deposited Miroku at a Weyr ledge, and flung himself upon a fat buck, snarling at another bronze as the offending male tried to snatch his kill. He fastened one eye on his rival, and latched on to the neck of the buck and began to blood his kill.

It took seven full grown bucks to satisfy him, and when the Queen awoke, furious and hungry, five bronze heads snapped around to watch the entrance to the Queen weyr.

When Kikyo emerged, she was in a foul temper, and in no mood to be placated. She snarled at the watching bronzes and felled her first buck. She shrilled angrily when Tsubaki prevented her from feeding, and reluctantly fastened her jaws on the neck of the animal, draining the limp form of blood. As the Queen continued to drink, she seemed to glow with an inner radiance.

As she raised her bloody muzzle from her fifth kill, a low hum rose in the valley, and the bronzes tensed, waiting for the Queen to make her move.

In a sudden golden movement, Kikyo rose off the ground, wings beating furiously as the five pursuing bronzes leapt up to follow her into the sky. Already Inuyasha was gaining on her, outpacing the other bronzes by nearly a tail-length. Distantly, he heard the other dragons hiss in surprise, and sensed that they halted their pursuit.

He crowed triumphantly and doubled his pace. He dismissed the searing pain in his right wing as a muscle cramp, and fixed his gaze on the golden shapeabove him. Only when he heard Miroku call out a warning did he slow enough to see the deadly falling silver strands around him.

Somewhere far above, the Queen shrieked.

* * *

From his ledge outside of the Weyr, Miroku had watched first in anticipation, and then horror as the silver Threads had begun to fall while the Queen led her suitors through the sky.

He had watched as a thread had scored through Inuyasha's wing, and the great bronze had hung in the air for several heart wrenching seconds before wailing in pain as several more Threads ripped through his wings and unable to fly, he had plummeted to the ground as an array of blues and greens had risen up into the air, already flaming at the falling Threads.

One of the other bronzes had risen up to support Inuyasha as he fell, straining under the weight of the larger dragon.

Scrambling down from the cliff side, Miroku raced over to his dragon, feeling the great head for any other Thread scores as the many faceted eyes whirled in amixture of pain and disappointment._ I didn't catch her…_

Miroku sighed, slowly shaking his head. "No you didn't, but you tried, and you nearly got yourself killed in the process!"

Inuyasha halfway closed an eye, and let out a breath, the gust of air ruffling Miroku's hair. _Did I? I hadn't noticed._

Lightly smacking his muzzle, Miroku managed a smile. "Sarcastic to the last eh, Inuyasha?"

The dragon grumbled weakly. _You're not getting rid of me for a long while yet._

Miroku gently scratched behind an eye ridge, chuckling softly as Inuyasha hummed quietly.

"Nope. Looks like I'm stuck with you. Bummer, I was hoping to get some peace and quiet this weekend."

Inuyasha closed his eyes, still softly humming. _Not a chance._ Then, exhausted by the strain of the failed mating flight and the effort of staying awake, the dragon sighed deeply and slipped into unconsciousness.

With a last pat, Miroku turned away from his dragon and watched as the medics streamed out of the Weyr, vats of numbweed and rolls of bandages clutched in their hands. He cornered one of the medics and pinned him with a concerned stare. "How long until he can fly again?"

The man shrugged. "He'll be able to fly by tomorrow, if we're lucky, but he'll be in no shape for patrols or Thread flying for at least two seasons."

Miroku groaned, rubbing his temples with his hand. "_Ohhh_… It'll drive him _insane_, not being able to fly patrol.."

The medic nodded. "That's why we're sending you down to the Southern Weyr."

The young Dragonman did a double take. "Y-you're sending us_ where_?!" The medic regarded him in concern, frowning as he lifted a hand to take his temperature.

"To the Southern Weyr, across the ocean. There are grubs down there, so Thread won't be of concern, and by the looks of it, you and the dragon need a rest."

Slumping down to the ground, Miroku nodded weakly. "I think you may be right… But over the _ocean_? Can Inuyasha manage that in his condition?"

The healer glanced over his shoulder at the slumbering bronze. "A short trip _between_ shouldn't put all that much strain on him. I'll ask the Weyrleader if he can spare a green or two to help you along on the trip."

Miroku nodded again, head spinning wildly. The medic frowned. "Come now, let's get you to your room. You're not doing your dragon any good by catching a cold now. Get some sleep. You've a tiring journey to go on tomorrow."

Guided by the gentle hands of the healer on his shoulders, Miroku managed to stumble up the stairs leading to his room, and after weakly thanking the man, fell on to his bed with a groan, and looked out the window.

He watched as a blue flamed at a clump of falling Thread, and then turned over, eyelids slowly drifting shut. _The Southern Weyr, huh….._

With a tired grunt, he pulled a pillow over his head, and fell into a deep dreamless sleep as outside, the battle against the falling menace raged on.


	2. Over the Ocean and Far Away

CHAPTER 2:

Over the Ocean and Far Away

When Miroku woke up, everything hurt. He gingerly rubbed the lump on his head, and yawned, wincing as he remembered the previous days events. Kikyo rising, Inuyasha following and Threads falling. He tentatively reached out with his mind to see if his dragon was awake. He wasn't, but he would be soon. Already he was beginning to stir, tail twitching slightly.

Relieved that he was all right, Miroku glanced around his room, taking inventory of what he would need to bring to the Southern Weyr. He gathered up a bundle of clothes, and called down the service shaft for a cup of klah, and uttered a muffled curse as the steaming drink scalded his tongue.

As he gulped down his drink, he glanced back at his room one last time and stepped out of his chambers and closed the door. He took a deep breath and began heading down the stairs towards where Inuyasha was dozing, covered in numbweed and bandages.

The dragon bugled happily as he saw Miroku, and attempted to rise to his feet, staggering slightly as his injuries made themselves known.

A flock of fire lizards buzzed around the dragon, chattering angrily as the bronze dragon snapped at them in irritation. Miroku chuckled as he batted away a tiny green from his face. "Having trouble Inuyasha?"

The bronze glared at him. _They won't leave me alone!_ Miroku smiled at his friend and soothed a ruffled Queen lizard as she perched on his shoulder, uttering murmured protests at Inuyasha. "Don't be so mean to them… They're just worried about you."

The dragon snorted, and settled back down, curling into a tight ball. _Doubtful. Those spiteful critters don't worry about anything more than their next meal._ Said critters chirped angrily, and the Queen, who had flown off of Miroku, nipped Inuyasha reprimandingly on a neck ridge.

After shaking off the lizard, Inuyasha turned to face Miroku, forked tongue flicking in and out of his great jaws. _How long until I can fly patrol?_

Miroku rubbed the back of his head and sighed. " I can tell you, but you're not going to like it."

The bronze snorted, and replied that as long as he, Inuyasha was alive and still able to fly, any news would be appreciated.

Eying his dragon dubiously, Miroku repeated the words of the medic from the day before, and cringed as Inuyasha leapt to his feet, eyes blazing angrily.

_What?! The Southern Weyr?! No. I'm not going._

Miroku groaned, and sank down against the wall. "I told you that you wouldn't want to hear it…"

Inuyasha whipped his head back and forth in agitation. _I'm not going. There's no way that I'm abandoning the Weyr during Thread fall._

Hoisting his pack onto his shoulder, Miroku tapped the dragon on his shoulder. "I'm afraid that you don't have a choice in that matter… The Weyrleader agreed."

If a dragon could look horrified, Inuyasha did. Then his expression suddenly turned sly. _But I'm injured… There's no way that I can make it across the ocean._

Miroku flicked him on the muzzle, sighing deeply. "They thought of that too, you're gonna go between, and the Weyrleader is sending along two greens to help you."

_Oh…_ Inuyasha looked crestfallen, and glanced towards where Kikyo was feeding animatedly on a wherry.

Laughing, Miroku slid up into the saddle, carefully avoiding any tender places and patted his dragon on a numbweed-free patch of hide. "Don't worry. You'll be back before she rises again."

The bronze perked up, and expressed his delight that the relocation was not permanent. Shaking his head, Miroku grabbed on to a neck ridge as Inuyasha stood, weaving slightly on unsteady legs. "Naah, we'll just stay for as long as it takes for you to get all patched up, and then we'll be back on our way."

Inuyasha hummed contentedly, and shook out his wings, rumbling in discomfort and pain as dried numbweed fell off in great chunks, exposing the tender scores to the early morning heat.

With a rush of air, two green dragons lighted on the stones in front of the dragon and rider. Hissing in surprise, Inuyasha flinched back as a rush of chilling air swept over him_. I thought you said the dragons were from our Weyr!_ Spluttering, Miroku shook his head, "Apparently they're not!"

One of the green riders nodded his head up at Inuyasha. "Can he get airborne?"

Inuyasha snorted, and assured Miroku that even in his condition, he could easily outfly these puny greens, and he would proceed to do so. Miroku protested softly, knowing that once Inuyasha made up his mind, there was no way to change it.

Hissing at the other dragons, he swept his tail in a great arc to clear the ground, and leapt into the air, injured wings straining to support his weight.

The pair hung in the air for a moment, Inuyasha's wingbeats grew labored and strained, before the two smaller dragons rose up to help support the larger bronze.

Inuyasha growled a warning at them, and with a labored grunt, forced himself _between_. His cry of warning swallowed up by the black nothingness, Miroku gripped the saddle tightly, unaccustomed to such jerky flights.

After a few endless seconds in between, the pair emerged above the ocean_. I-I told you I could do it on my own! _Inuyasha panted, now barely able to hover in the cloudy skies, Miroku gulped, "I knew that, but it's not the between part I'm worried about!"

With a tortured groan of realization, the bronze began to spiral downwards, injured wings finally losing the ability to support the great dragon.

With a strangled yelp, Miroku scrabbled at the saddle, hair whipping his face as he clung to his falling dragon for dear life. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a flash of gold, and then the world went black.

* * *

When Miroku opened his eyes, the first thing he saw two large brown eyes framed by strands of dark brown hair. He blinked to clear his vision, and the two brown eyes became part of a delicate, well-shaped face.

"Well? Are you done sleeping? I have work to do, and can't spend all day tending to a dragonman too incompetent to keep his injured dragon from going between."

Miroku blinked again, "What?"

The woman sighed, sounding aggrieved. "You nearly crash landed right on our doorstep with a half-dead bronze and two of our green riders stressed beyond belief in tow. I've been putting off all my other duties, making sure that your bronze doesn't tear the Weyr to shreds for neglecting you."

The pieces were all beginning to click together, the Thread fall, being moved to the Southern Weyr, and Inuyasha's spectacular plummet towards the ocean. The one thing that didn't make sense was… "How did you manage to stop our fall? Inuyasha is big for a bronze, and would certainly be too heavy to easily support."

She frowned at him. "With help. Anyway, by means of near death, you're here at the Cliffside Southern Weyr to rest your dragon, who by the way, is nearly eating us out of house and home. I suggest that you go see him before he worries himself to death"

Miroku sprang up from the bed, scattering pillows and blankets on the floor. "Where is he? Tell me where he is and I'll go!"

The woman gave him a stern look, eying his newly bandaged head critically. "I said that you could go see him, not give yourself a whole new concussion in the process. For the sake of the Egg, take it slowly. I don't want to have to have you in a Weyr bed longer than necessary. With Thread falling everywhere, we might need them sooner than I would like."

Newly clear eyes registering that the woman who had nursed him was very attractive, Miroku extended a hand, grinning widely. "The name's Miroku, can I have the pleasure of knowing yours?"

Eying his hand with an expression akin to that of someone who had just seen something distasteful, the woman wrinkled her nose. "No, you may not."

Then, without a further word, she strode from the room, long brown ponytail swaying as she walked. Flabbergasted, Miroku stayed frozen for several more seconds, hand still outstretched, before he composed himself enough to flop back down on to the bed. Tentatively he contacted Inuyasha, and grimaced tiredly as the dragon informed him that if he ever scared him like that again, he would strangle him.

As Inuyasha got wind of where Miroku was located, a huge bronze head suddenly filled up the view from the little window in the room.

Miroku smirked cheekily, "Good to know that you missed me."

The golden eye blinked once, and then half-closed in irritation. _I needed someone to oil my hide._

Miroku threw a pillow at the window, and was rewarded with a hiss of laughter as the pillow fell short halfway across the room. _Did you meet the Weyrwoman?_

Glaring at the dragon, Miroku snorted. "No, but I did meet a very pretty and very crabby medic."

Inuyasha chuckled again, _Did she have long brown hair in a ponytail?_

Miroku looked at the dragon in surprise, "Yes, she did. Why? Did she help you with your scores?"

The many faceted eyes opened again, whirling with a mix of amusement and boredom. _Indeed she did. I see that the Weyrleader failed to mention that Kikyo wasn't the only Queen left in Pern._

For the second time that day, Miroku sat bolt upright, knocking over a full jug of water in his surprise. "What?!"

The bronze dragon retreated slightly from the window, so that Miroku could see roughly half his muzzle. _There is a second Queen dragon in Pern, and she resides here, in the Southern Weyr. That woman who nursed you was her Weyrwoman._

Spluttering in indignant surprise, Miroku barely managed a sentence. "_A-another_ Queen? How is that possible?! Kikyo has never clutched, and she's the only mature Queen on Pern!"

The dragon grimaced, baring long fangs. _The two Queens are sisters, hatched from the same clutch of Rath._

Head whirling from the influx of new information, Miroku sank back down on to the bed, rubbing his temple with a hand. "So that irritatingly attractive medic was actually the Weyrwoman?"

Inuyasha nodded, grimacing again. _She was. And her dragon is exactly the same, both are irritating and stubborn to the extent of a pack beast._

Miroku groaned loudly. "And we just had to be transferred to the Weyr that had two of the most obnoxious and stubborn creatures on the planet; a Weyrwoman and her dragon."

The dragon flicked out his tongue, tasting the air. _I wasn't the one who agreed to the transfer…_

Miroku glared at him, "No, but you were the one who was too besotted with Kikyo to notice the Threads until they scored through your wings."

Inuyasha grumbled something, probably an insult, and subsided, eye still peering through the window. _Now will you come outside and oil me? Or will I have to crumble to dust because you refuse to tend to your dragon?_

Eying the bronze in amusement and irritation, Miroku sat up with a put-upon sigh. "Well, someone has to do it…"

With a snort of satisfaction, Inuyasha retreated from the window. _Good._

Just because he could, Miroku threw another pillow at the retreating dragon, and grinned in satisfaction as an outraged hiss sounded from outside the window when the pillow hit home.

The head returned to the window. _Did I forget to mention that on that list of irritating and stubborn creatures at this Weyr, you are at the top of that list?_

Winking at the dragon, Miroku smiled cheekily and fled the room. "Aren't I always?"

* * *

As he sauntered out of the hospital room, whistling cheerily, Miroku paused to examine the walls around him. Built from solid sea weathered stone, the Weyr was impervious to Thread, making it a logical place to create a Weyr dedicated to healing and rest. It might even, he reasoned, tapping the hard rock with the back of his hand, be able to withstand the sandstorms that so plagued the Eastern Desert Weyr.

He ran an admiring hand along the rock and continued to walk down the corridors, leisurely exploring the Weyr that he would be calling home for the next two seasons.

The walls were high and sturdy, made to accommodate a large flow of people, probably to transport the wounded to the medical wing, and surprisingly, the cliff walls outside the Weyr were pocketed with dragon weyrs. Idly he wondered why a Weyr of healers with no concern of Thread would need so many dragons, but he dismissed the thought as he continued his inspection.

Abruptly, he came upon a set of steep stairs. From his experience of the Western Weyr, he recognized it to be the passageway that led down towards the Queens cave. With a quick glance around, Miroku quickly slipped into the passageway, anxious to get a look the second Queen dragon of Pern.

* * *

She was sleeping quietly, curled up in a tight ball as Miroku entered the cave, wings spread out over the heated stones. She was a rich gold, from tail to muzzle, reminding Miroku of the freshly collected honey that was such a delicacy to all the Weyrs.

Examining the Queen more closely, Miroku frowned. She was small, small for a Queen, and more petite than even the tiniest bronze.

Now worried, Miroku hurried down the rest of the steps, but before he could reach the slumbering Queen, he was stopped by the commanding voice of the Weyrwoman. "Up and about already dragonrider?"

He turned to her with an aggrieved sigh. "Yes..."

She studied him for a moment, before turning her gaze back to her dragon. "Her name is Kagome, in case you were wondering, which you were."

Miroku snapped his fingers, "Of course! And what about your name? It must be a wonderful name for it to match a beautiful lady such as yourself."

She glared at him. "Not a chance."

He shrugged and smiled up at her, "I'll find out one way or another."

She wrinkled her nose in distaste and frowned at him. "That's just creepy. Now, I'd recommend that you see to that bronze of yours outside before he pines away into nothing. He keeps complaining about oiling, and he hasn't let anyone else come near him."

At the mention of oiling, the Queen stirred, her long tail twitching back and forth.

Smiling fondly at her dragon, the Weyrwoman stepped past Miroku to stroke the wedge shaped head softly, murmuring to the golden dragon.

The display of affection between dragon and woman reminded Miroku suddenly of his own injured charge

* * *

_You forgot me_. Inuyasha said tartly, _You forgot me because you were so absorbed watching the Weyrwoman and her irritating brat of a Queen._

Miroku raised a eyebrow. "Jealous, are we, Inuyasha?"

The dragon snorted, and replied that why would he, the finest and best looking dragon at this Weyr be jealous of a snobby Queen and her stubborn rider?

Miroku smothered a chuckle as the bronze glared at him, and attempted to soothe his ruffled pride by giving him a good scratch behind an eye ridge. His apology was apparently considered acceptable as Inuyasha leaned in to the touch. _Now would you fetch the oil? Imperfect hide cracks in _between_._

Sighing deeply, Miroku abandoned his scratching to look at his dragon ruefully. "You never do forget do you?"

Inuyasha hummed smugly. _Never_.


	3. When it Rains, it Pours

CHAPTER 3

When it Rains, it Pours

_I wish you would have told me that it rained so much here!_

Inuyasha wailed, feeling much abused as the rain fell on his exposed tail, causing the dragon to shiver violently, and splatter a very unamused Miroku with water droplets.

"I would have told you if I had known about it! I'm no happier about it than you are!"

The dragon contemplated his rider in irritation. _Well we wouldn't be in this situation if you hadn't agreed to transfer us over here!_

The dragonrider threw his hands up in irritation, turning to glare at the bronze. "It's been nearly a week now! How long are you going to keep whining about being transferred?! Just suck it up and try to get through it!"

Inuyasha sniffed in disdain. _My complaints will continue until I can fly again. Was it really necessary that the Weyrwoman restrict me from flying?_

Miroku shrugged, "She probably didn't want to repeat the incident of you nearly falling into the ocean. And the state your wings are in, it's probably a good idea."

Flipping said wings in irritation, Inuyasha hissed. _But I'm bored! There's nothing to do here! No Thread to fly, no patrols to lead, no flaming! Not anything!_

Smirking, Miroku patted his dragon on the shoulder. "You could always try to talk to the other dragons… Or the Queen, Kagome, she seems like a pleasant dragon."

Giving his rider a deeply offended glare, the bronze hissed again and left the cave, making sure to get Miroku as wet as was humanly possible in the process.

After spluttering in protest for a few seconds, Miroku called after his dragon; "You know that was totally unnecessary right? You didn't have to soak me to the bone! I know you can hear me Inuyasha! Don't ignore me! _Inuyasha_!"

With a draconic snort of laughter, Inuyasha continued to make his way through the downpour towards an empty cave. As the angry shouts of his rider faded into the distance, he curled up, making sure that he was a proper distance from the rain, before closing his eyes. A soft hiss from a far corner of the cave jolted him to full alertness, primal instinct being hardwired into his brain.

A pair of whirling blue eyes focused on him, and the Queen stepped out from where she had been curled. _What brings you here?_

In no mood to deal with Kagome, Inuyasha simply snorted and got up, he'd rather trek through the rain than have to share a cave with her.

She caught up with him though, squeezing past his larger bulk easily. _What's wrong with this cave? It's perfectly dry, and big enough for the both of us!_

He eyed her in distaste, hissing slightly. _You. You are what's wrong with this cave. There's no way that I'm going to wait out a rainstorm with a stubborn Queen for…. Who knows how many hours._

Abandoning all pretenses of friendliness, the Queen bristled. _If you want to go back out there and freeze, it's fine by me. However distasteful I find sharing a cave with you, it would be better if you stayed._

He rolled an eye towards her, interest piqued by what could cause her to put her intense dislike of him aside. _And why is that?_

The look she gave him was that of a person trying to hold on to the last traces of their patience, but failing miserably at it. _Your scores. If you go out there, all the salve the Weyrwoman put on your wings will wash off, and you'll be twice as miserable._

Despite not wanting to be anywhere near her, or in the general vicinity of her, Inuyasha had to acknowledge that Kagome made a good point. Sighing, he settled down again, curling his tail tightly around himself. _Fine, but don't breathe on me._

Kagome glared at him, and made a point of hissing loudly at him, making sure that her warm breath washed over his sensitive wings. He jerked, _I told you to sto- You know what? I give up. For the sake of the Egg, just stay on your side of the cave!_

She flicked her tongue out at him, and retreated back to her corner. _Only if you stay on yours._

* * *

When the rain stopped, Inuyasha poked his head out tentatively, long forked tongue testing for any falling droplets. The awakening of the Queen behind him interrupted his inspection.

He turned to watch her, wary of her short temper now more than ever. She was known to be rather difficult in the morning, and he hoped that this would not be one of her more violent awakenings. As she stretched, he was strongly reminded of Kikyo, which was only logical, since the two Queens were siblings.

He saw her in the way she stretched languidly, in the way her tongue flicked out of her mouth as she yawned loudly. But that was where the similarities ended. Kikyo was a full sized Queen, nearly as large as Inuyasha in size, where Kagome was small and petite. Kikyo was a vibrant glowing gold, so bright as to be almost be like the sun, but Kagome was a mellower color, more like polished amber than gold. She had darker striations on her wings, making her a spectacular vision when she flew in the sun.

Not that she would ever be aware of his comparisons, but they were impossible not to make.

As she came fully awake, Kagome glared at him. _Is there something on my muzzle?_

Inuyasha glared right back. _Besides the normal dirt? No. Wait, that's not dirt. That's how you normally look. Sorry._

She hissed at him, and slithered past his bulk and stalked out of the cavern, making sure to slap him with her tail as she passed.

He snorted in amusement. _Honestly, _she was too easy to annoy. Inuyasha once again stuck his neck out of the cavern, and was immediately doused as the rain began to pour down again. With an angry wail, he retreated back into the cave, and stared glumly at the falling drops, hissing in distaste as his soaking hide chilled him to the bone.

Wishing now more than ever that he was allowed to fly, Inuyasha forced his dripping body further into the cavern and pressed himself up against the wall.

* * *

When Miroku found him several hours later, it was a miserable dragon that greeted him dully, curled up in the back of a dark cave. Smirking, Miroku walked up to the bronze, and patted him on the neck. "Enjoying the rain Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha glared at him, and shifted again so that only his back was facing his rider. Miroku snickered. "Guess not. Would it help if I mentioned that one of the other bronzes has left a herd beast for you back at the cave you oh- so graciously left me in?"

The dragon raised his head slightly, _I'm listening._

Miroku heaved a sigh, "But we can't go get it because you decided to hole up in the furthest cave possible from me."

Inuyasha flopped down with a groan. _Couldn't you get it for me?_

Giving the rain outside a disgusted glance, Miroku shook his head and slumped down against the dragon behind him. "Not a chance."

With a resigned sigh, Inuyasha relinquished his former tight curl and wrapped himself around Miroku, sharing much needed body heat with his rider. _You majorly owe me for this._

Patting him on the tail, Miroku smiled. "I know I do."

* * *

When the rain finally stopped several days later, the whole Weyr came out to bask in the frail sunlight. By the time the dark clouds had rolled away from the cliff sides, Inuyasha had struck up a grudging tolerance with the Weyr Queen, now accompanying her on her daily walks on foot.

The main cause for this partial acceptance was the Weyrwoman. Where Kagome was, the Weyrwoman was never far behind, and where the Weyrwoman was, Miroku could also be found, and in turn, where Mioku was, Inuyasha was never far behind. The medic had rejected him, and as in the case of most men, took the rejection as a challenge.

He still hadn't found out her name, and her dragon was quite unwilling to give it to him, whether by order or free will, he wasn't quite sure.

On one of the warmer days, Inuyasha was restlessly fanning out his injured wings, causing the scores to twinge slightly as he flexed ill used muscles.

From where she was lounging on a sun bathed rock, Kagome stared down at him in amusement. _The more you irritate the scores, the longer they'll take to heal._

Shooting her a look of irritation, Inuyasha reluctantly began to fold his wings, giving the vibrant red scores a dirty look in the process. _And how do you know this?_

She gave him a superior look, and the draconic version of a smug smile. _When one's Weyrwoman is a head medic, healing tips aren't that hard to come by. You honestly shouldn't be surprised._

His exercise postponed, Inuyasha simply snorted and eyed the sun bathed cliffs above him.

Following his gaze, Kagome shook her head. _Don't even think about it. With wings as messed up as yours, trying to make it up that cliff will only make it worse._

He chose to ignore her probably wise advice, and stared up at the cliff wall, mentally assessing all the pockets and crevices that could serve as claw holds on his way up.

Paying no mind to the protesting Queen above him, Inuyasha latched his talons into the rock wall and began to climb, cracking off chunks of stone as he ascended.

He slipped only once, and nearly gave Kagome a heart attack in the process, being unnerved by his ridiculous climb.

When he finally reached the top of the cliff, he chose a warm patch of stone, and smugly curled up in a tight ball, disregarding Kagome as she fussed over his wings.

_That was a horrible idea! Why would you do that?! Sleeping in the sun isn't worth risking your ability to fly!_

Inuyasha opened one eye, her constant nagging preventing him from getting a well-earned snooze in the warm sunlight. _Well, I made it didn't I?_

She sat back on her haunches, clearly surprised by his reply. _Yes…. Yes you did. _Kagome regarded him quietly for a moment, and then returned to her patch of sunlight, snorting at him as she went. _Just make sure you don't do it again._

Closing his eyes again, Inuyasha smirked, _And what if I do?_

The Queen raised her head, no more pleased than he at the prospect of an interrupted nap. _Nothing. I'll do nothing. You got lucky this time, but when your luck runs out, I'll leave you to suffer the consequences of your frankly horrible ideas._

She squawked in indignation as a loud snore drifted towards her from the large bronze. After shooting him a dirty look, Kagome sighed deeply and spread out her wings, fully prepared to spend the rest of the day taking a well deserved nap in the sun.

* * *

In the Weyr itself, Miroku was having no luck whatsoever with the Weyrwoman. She was vehemently refusing to give her name, and all of his advances were viciously cast aside and ignored.

The more she turned him down, the more Miroku became interested. She was a beautiful woman, with her long hair, brown eyes and more than generous figure, but she was so irritatingly stubborn! As he was pestering one of her medical assistants, Inuyasha crowed triumphantly from the cliff where he had been lounging. _I have her name!_

Abandoning the blushing assistant, Miroku swung around, a victorious grin plastered across his face. "Well, don't keep secrets, spit it out!"

If a dragon could sound smug, Inuyasha did. _Sango. Her name is Sango._

Miroku did a little victory dance, spinning around happily. "How did you manage to weasel it out of the Queen?"

Inuyasha gave a draconic snicker, turning his head towards a sulking Kagome. _I didn't. She let it slip when she was lecturing me about how irresponsible I was being._

Laughing, Miroku dashed out of the room, leaving a flustered and confused serving girl behind him, and ran towards the library, where he knew Sango would be poring over a dusty medical scroll.

He threw open the door, still grinning like a maniac. "_Sango_! Your name is Sango!"

Said Weyrwoman flinched in her seat, dropping the scroll that she had been reading in her surprise. "How did you find out?" She frowned, and then her expression cleared slightly. "Your dragon managed to wheedle it out of Kagome," She smiled, raising an eyebrow, "I think that counts as cheating."

Blowing a strand of hair out of his face, Miroku stuck his tongue out at her. "_Nyeh_."

She waved his childish expression off with a hand, and turned towards him, moving her chair along with her. "Speaking of dragons, is yours doing alright? From the way my Queen is putting it, I'm surprised that he's lasted this long."

From where he was lounging on the cliff, Inuyasha informed Miroku that he was perfectly fine, and that instead of using her Queen as a medium, checking on him personally would be infinitely more effective.

Mentally shushing him, Miroku turned back towards the Weyrwoman. "He says he's fine, and would prefer it if you checked up on him personally, instead of through your Queen."

Sango smiled, casting an affectionate glance in the general direction of said Queen. "She tends to exaggerate a bit…"

Ignoring Inuyasha's _A bit is an understatement_, Miroku pulled up a chair, and sat down, and turned it to face the Weyrwoman. "So…. _Sango_, really, how long until Inuyasha is fit to fly?"

Frowning at the exaggerated use of her name, Sango picked up the scroll from where it had fallen, and gently dusted it off. "If all goes well, and he doesn't re-open the scores, he should be able to do some light flying by next week."

Ignoring the happy hum from Miroku, she continued, opening the scroll. "But don't get too excited, he won't be able to carry any kind of weight, much less a rider, for at least another season. Dragon wings are delicate things, and require a lot of care."

Now properly deflated, Miroku frowned, picking up a scroll and blowing on it to rid it of dust. Scowling, Sango plucked the scroll from a coughing Miroku and placed it down next to the others. "And don't even think about trying to take him _between_."

Pouting, Miroku lounged back in his seat, putting his feet up on the table. "But what am I supposed to do while Inuyasha gets sunbathe all day?"

Giving the offending feet a good thwack, Sango stood, brushing dust off of her tunic. "Read, educate yourself, learn to actually read, and maybe, if you don't turn out to be completely incompetent, you can help me in the medical wing."

With that, she left Miroku to nurse his throbbing feet.

* * *

The following day, the rains returned.

Soaking wet and miserable, dragons and riders alike returned to their Weyrs to wait out the ocean born storms.

Being earthbound, Inuyasha was forced to take refuge in the soggiest and wettest caves, making him more irritable and snappish than usual. During this period, the Queen left her warm sands and trekked through the downpour to find him. Sharing a cave during stormy weather had become somewhat of a habit, and gave the two dragons some time to socialize, and to become more accustomed to each other's presence.

As a clap of thunder rumbled through the skies, Inuyasha quickly retracted his head from where he had been observing the darkened skies. He turned to Kagome, shaking his head to rid himself of the droplets that clung to his hide. _Why does it rain so much here?_

Raising a wing to block the splatter of drops Inuyasha shook off, she shook her head. _I don't know…. I think it might have something to do with the air humidity off the ocean._

Inuyasha snorted. _The ocean doesn't seem to be good for much, other than causing horrid storms that make everyone miserable._

She cocked her head at him, eyes whirling. _You've never seen an ocean before?_

He turned towards her, and sat down on his haunches, crouching slightly so that his head wouldn't brush the low cave ceiling. _I was raised in the Western Weyr. I've been to most every other Weyr other than this one, the desert, and the plains….. But never the ocean._

She laughed, wings shaking in mirth. _The desert? Isn't it just a bunch of sand? Why would someone make a Weyr there?_

He eyed her sourly, _Why would someone make a Weyr here?_

Ignoring his bad attitude, Kagome yawned widely. Lots of reasons. _When you're fit to fly again, remind me to show you around a little bit._

Curiosity aroused, Inuyasha quirked his head. _Why not now?_

Kagome laughed again, _Because some things need to be seen from the air._

Curling in to a tight ball, Inuyasha snorted. _I'll believe it when I see it. For now, to me, the ocean is good for nothing but rain._

Taking his posture as an end to their conversation, the Queen sighed, and retreated further in to her corner to wait out the seemingly endless rain.

* * *

When the sun peeked out from behind roiling dark clouds the next day, Inuyasha practically bounded out of the cavern. _I never thought that I would miss the sun!_

Kagome emerged behind him and stretched, talons flexing. _That does tend to happen when you don't see a lot of sun._

He spread his wings and flapped them experimentally. _Don't be so negative! Not even your pessimism can get me down today!_

Giving him a reproachful glance, she extended one wing, and then the other to relax stiff and sore muscles. _**My**_ _pessimism? If anyone here is pessimistic, it's you, Mr. Rain is good for nothing._

Inuyasha shot Kagome a sour look. _Yeah, well that was then, and this is now. In fact…. _He squinted up at the sun, _I figured out what rain is good for._

From where she was stretching, Kagome paused. _Oh?_

_Yes._ Inuyasha replied smugly, _It makes me realize just how good the sunlight actually is._

With a mock sigh of exasperation, Kagome grinned toothily. _And here I thought that you had actually learned to appreciate water._

He hummed, eyes whirling in happiness. _Never._

Eying him in consideration, Kagome came over. Stretch out your wings for me.

Inuyasha gave a draconic shrug, and complied, wincing slightly as the movement strained the thin scabs that covered the scores. _What for?_

After giving the injuries a good sniff, Kagome sat back on her haunches, wings spread. _Checking the healing process. Are you feeling up to a quick flight today?_

He jumped to his feet, and then restrained himself, eyeing her in suspicion. _This isn't some kind of trick…. Right?_

She sighed. _Must you second guess my every decision? No. This isn't a trick._

With a happy croon, he fully spread his wings, basking in the warm sunlight. Good. _Cuz' if you were…_

Kagome shook her head, furling out her wings as she did so. _You would strangle me._

Giving her an appreciative glance, Inuyasha hummed. _Exactly._

She paused, and silently watched him for a few seconds. _You're actually being friendly… Are you sure you're feeling okay?_

He glared at her. _You just had to ruin the mood didn't you?_

Laughing, she leapt off the ground, buffeting him with the gusts of air caused by her churning wings. _Of course._

Not wanting to be outdistanced, Inuyasha tentatively pushed off the ground, and flapped experimentally, and found, much to his delight, that his wings were able to support him again.

From above, the Queen trilled happily, and with an answering bugle, the bronze followed her up into the sky.


End file.
